While urban greenspace is often associated with improved mental health, new research has found the benefits are dependent on the characteristics of the population using the space – and their proximity to it.
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) looked at the link between greenspace and prescription rates to treat mental health disorders across all Scottish towns with more than 10,000 residents.
They found a significant relationship between mental health and the amount of urban greenspace in areas with high proportions of people from black and minority ethnic and/or in areas of high deprivation.
However, the link between lower prescription rates and greenspace in these communities was only evident when looking at those spaces in the immediate neighbourhood. When considering greenspace within a 30-minute walk, no significant relationship was found between greenspace and mental health disorders.
This suggests that the mental health benefits of greenspace for these groups occur where it is closest to home – with previous research finding they are often the least likely to use their nearest greenspace.
Researchers found no significant relationship between mental health and green space in all other population groups.
The research, which has been published by the Urban Forestry & Urban Greening journal, will provide valuable information for urban and land-use planning, where decisions are taken at the population level.
The lead author Dr Michaela Roberts, Environmental Economist at the James Hutton Institute, said: “Our work supports the broad supposition that greenspace and mental health are positively related, and adds further support for the need to understand a populations’ relationship with greenspaces, to ensure urban greening achieves the highest gains for communities.”
Co-author Alistair McVittie, Ecosystem Services Economist at SRUC, said: “Our results highlight that the relationship between greenspace and mental health relies not only on the presence of greenspace itself, but also on the characteristics of the population using the greenspace.”
The research was funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services Division.
Study suggests relocations took place with little consideration of people’s needs and adversely affected their health and wellbeing
Asylum seekers who were moved to temporary accommodation during the Covid-19 pandemic have faced unsafe conditions, mobility restrictions and a lack of communication from service providers, according to a new study.
Edinburgh Napier researchers said the asylum seekers’ accounts – in which they likened their hotel-type accommodation to detention centres – “pointed to a provision that was inattentive towards their needs, vulnerability and wellbeing.”
The study, which focuses on accommodation in Glasgow, is particularly critical of a “mothers and baby” unit in the south of the city, which was opened last October. Mothers, who were moved there by Home Office accommodation contractor Mears Group who run the facilities, criticised the cramped and noisy living conditions, unsuitable furniture and inadequate washing facilities.
The report authors call for an independent assessment of the facility to be carried out as a matter of urgency, and say no more families should be moved there until this has taken place.
Other recommendations in the interim report include calls for risk assessments for individuals in advance of any relocation, the minimising of stays in hotel-type accommodation, a review of limits on travel luggage, and the lifting of restrictions requiring residents to stay ‘on-site overnight’.
Edinburgh Napier researchers carried out the study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, as part of UK Research and Innovation’s response to Covid-19. They worked with migrant-led grassroots organisation Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment (MORE) to explore the impact of the pandemic on those placed in temporary accommodation in Glasgow.
Around 350 asylum seekers were moved from their settled flats into various hotels in the city centre following the outbreak of Covid-19 in March last year, which Mears Group claimed was an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.
Researchers spoke to more than 50 asylum seekers and followed closely the lives of 14 participants of varied ages and backgrounds from December 2020 to June 2021, during the ‘second wave’ of the virus in the UK, through weekly online meetings.
Accommodation for asylum seekers during the pandemic has long been a controversial topic. A mass outbreak of Covid at the repurposed Napier military barracks in Kent last winter and a mass stabbing at the Park Inn Hotel in Glasgow the previous June sparked debate and criticism of the government’s handling of asylum housing from parliamentary select committees.
The interim findings of the new Edinburgh Napier study suggest relocating asylum seekers to hotel-type accommodation had a negative impact on their health and wellbeing, and that they found social distancing almost impossible in their new environment.
Individuals living in hotels also faced a number of restrictions. They were unable to cook their own food or have visitors, had their weekly allowance withdrawn, and were told they could not spend nights away from the accommodation. The food served was said to be of poor quality, and it did not reflect their religious or cultural backgrounds.
The Glasgow-based mother and baby unit, the only such facility in the whole of Scotland, was reportedly noisy – with doors frequently banging and staff knocking, and had small beds, insufficient room ventilation and furniture which was unsuitable for breastfeeding. One mum told of her humiliation when the driver taking her to the unit told her she had too many belongings for a “destitute” asylum seeker.
The report said relocations to temporary accommodation took place with little consideration of people’s needs and with no consultation with asylum seekers themselves. There were cases of people being given less than 15 minutes to get ready for their move, and of individuals being threatened with deportation if they resisted.
Dr Taulant Guma, Principal Investigator and lecturer in Edinburgh Napier’s School of Applied Sciences, said: “While issues around asylum accommodation have received a significant amount of media and public attention since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, little attention has been paid to the experiences and perspectives of asylum seekers themselves, who are directly and mostly affected by these housing arrangements.
“As a collaboration with a grassroots organisation, our study offers a unique and in-depth insight and understanding into the day-to-day realities of asylum seekers’ housing experiences during the pandemic.
“In the context of the current Afghan crisis and discourses of ‘warm welcome’, our findings offer a timely reminder of the cold realities that may await Afghan asylum seekers and refugees once they are relocated to their accommodation across the country.”
Robert Makutsa, Community Researcher with MORE, said: “The asylum accommodation system is broken because the level of duty of care that is required does not need to be met. Think about it; what legal action can an asylum seeker raise against Mears or the Home Office in their failure to adhere to the accommodation provision? None.
“Their lives are defined and controlled by their agents and often it is us, migrant led organisations and grassroots groups, who put pressure on Mears when asylum seekers make complaints.”
Support for children and young people with mental health issues
Funding of £10.83 million has been allocated for the remainder of this year to help improve access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
The investment will also increase the numbers of trained professionals to support children and young people with neurodevelopmental support needs.
The allocation is part the of £120 million Mental Health Recovery and Renewal Fund announced in February 2021, and will help to deliver a number of improvements, including: · improve access to CAMHS assessments out of hours · help to put in place specialist regional CAMHS services including those with learning disabilities and those requiring secure care · Help provide access to CAMHS Intensive Home Treatment Teams · Support mental health liaison teams within paediatric services.
The Recovery and Renewal Fund supports many mental health measures contained in the Programme for Government.
Other policies include extra support for health and care staff, completion of the commitment to recruit 800 additional mental health workers this year and a pledge that at least 10% of frontline NHS spending will go towards mental health over this parliament.
Mental Wellbeing and Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart, who announced the allocation during a visit to the Young People’s Inpatient Unit at The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People Edinburgh said: “I am pleased to announce the allocation of £10.83 million health boards to support children and young people with mental health issues, and those with neurodevelopmental support needs.
“This funding will lead to substantial improvements in the mental health care that children and young people receive in Scotland, ensuring that the right support is available in the right place at the right time.
“We know the pandemic has had a negative impact on many people’s mental health – whatever their age or circumstances. That is why we committed £120 million to the recovery and renewal of mental health services in this year’s Programme for Government. I hope that the allocation I have announced today makes a real and lasting difference to children, young people and their families.”
Joanna Barrett, Associate Head of Policy for the Devolved Nations, NSPCC Scotland, said: “Before the pandemic hit, thousands of children referred to mental health services in Scotland were having to wait unacceptable periods of time for treatment to begin.
“The profound impact of the conditions of the past 18 months on children has compounded this by increasing the need. Our Childline counsellors have heard from children struggling with loneliness and isolation, worries about education, abusive home environments and suicidal feelings.
“This funding by the Scottish Government to address young people’s mental health is therefore crucial. However, this investment must go alongside more preventative efforts, including the provision of mental health support in schools, to ensure children get the help they need before reaching crisis point.”
An inaugural wellbeing tournament on Saturday 11th September will mark Musselburgh Golf Club’s first steps to becoming a mentally healthy golf club.
Teaming up with two mental health organisations, NHS 24’s Breathing Space service and the charity Samaritans, alongside partners Network Rail, the Club aims to drive conversations to support better mental health locally.
Stuart Wright, Captain of Musselburgh Golf Club, said: “Just as we have physical health, we all have mental health too. As a club we recognise that golf can connect people and have tremendous benefits to our wellbeing.
This past year has been a challenging time for so many – we want to ensure our club members and the wider community feel supported. By developing a Wellbeing Strategy and hosting a series of events, training and other activities over the year we hope to make mental health a priority at the club. We’re looking forward to hosting our very first Wellbeing Tournament.”
The Wellbeing Tournament takes a three ball format and will raise awareness of the support provided by mental health services such as Breathing Space and Samaritans. The Tournament coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September.
Tony McLaren, Breathing Space National Coordinator, said: “Musselburgh Golf Club is doing a tremendous job in taking forward this mental wellbeing agenda.
“The Wellbeing Tournament will provide an opportunity to unveil a special ‘Take some Breathing Space’ bench at the clubhouse, offering members and the wider community a place to connect and reflect. We hope that the important work they are doing can be replicated by other clubs in the future.”
Over the coming months, ‘Learn to Listen’ workshops will be delivered by Samaritans’ Edinburgh branch to club staff and members to improve listening skills and develop SHUSH listening tips to listen effectively to others.
This will be complemented by wellbeing talks from Breathing Space with the aim of removing the stigma sometimes associated with mental ill-health.
Rachel Cackett, Executive Director of Samaritans Scotland, said: “Musselburgh Golf Club’s commitment to supporting and promoting mental and emotional wellbeing is a fantastic example of how sports and community groups can play a leading role in supporting open conversations about mental health and fostering meaningful connections.
“The Wellbeing Tournament and wider activity at the club is one of many examples where Samaritans, supported by Network Rail and a range of partners like Breathing Space, are working with local communities to champion mental health & wellbeing and ensure that more people know they don’t have to face difficult times alone.
“We’re are delighted to be able to support Musselburgh in their journey towards becoming a mentally health golf club through initiatives like our Learn to Listen workshops and we hope that their commitment will inspire other clubs across Scotland to consider how they can champion mental health and wellbeing within their communities.”
Minister for Mental Wellbeing & Social Care Kevin Stewart said: “Mental health and wellbeing is everyone’s business, so I welcome the partnership approach being taken by Breathing Space, Musselburgh Golf Club, Samaritans and Network Rail in running this wellbeing golfing event and installing the Breathing Space bench.
“This helps remind us all of the value of looking after our own wellbeing and caring for family, friends and colleagues. My message is simple – we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about how we are feeling.
“This event is an excellent way to combine sport and improving mental wellbeing. I hope that, over the coming years, many members and visitors to the club will find the Breathing Space bench a useful place to gather their thoughts, and to take time to reflect.”
A new Peer Support group for parents caring for a young person (11-25years) experiencing mental health issues is available.
The group will be run as part of the new Parents Carewell Partnership meeting online, fortnightly on a Friday from 10-11am.
The group aims to – • Provide parents/carers with a safe space to share their experiences and hear from other carers in similar situations • Help improve wellbeing • Support parents/carers with ways they can help their child • Navigate complex systems such as social work assessments and welfare benefits • Help parents/carers find out more about their rights as a carer
If you’d like to find out more or to wish to attend a session, email Megan, VOCAL’s Parent Carer Support Practitioner at mcopley@vocal.org.uk
The Carewell Partnerships are Edinburgh-wide initiatives which support carers
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of children’s services, has called for significantly increased investment in mental health services and warned of a mental health pandemic as the impacts of Covid-19 on the young become clearer.
The call comes as new figures published today (7th September 2021) from Public Health Scotland indicate that at the end of June 2021, 1,686 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) provided by the NHS. This figure represents a doubling from June 2020 (787).They also represent 14.4 per cent of those waiting for specialist treatment.
With already under-resourced and overstretched services facing overwhelming pressure due to increased demand, the SCSC has raised concerns over a potential “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people whose mental health is being impacted by Covid-19.
Even prior to the pandemic cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access adequate support. This was further reinforced by a recent blog post from Antony Clark, a director for public health watchdog, Audit Scotland, who noted that “serious concerns have existed for years”, and that action was now more urgent given the impact of the pandemic on young people.
Figures issued last month showed that self-harm among the young in Scotland was at its the highest level for 14 years and this is undoubtedly only the tip of the iceberg.3
While 4,552 children and young people were treated over the period April to June 2021 by CAMHS, only 72.6 per cent were seen within the Scottish Government’s waiting time target for the NHS of 18 weeks from referral to treatment (met for at least 90 per cent of patients).4 Nine out of 14 health boards failed to meet this target (full table in Notes to Editors).
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “These frightening statistics highlight the challenges ahead and while we welcome a commitment by the Scottish Government to increase investment in mental health services to 1 per cent of NHS spending over the next five years, we need this investment now.
“This increased investment should not however just apply to the NHS and one of the key problems is that early intervention support has not been available due to funding restrictions. Investing in early intervention limits the need for highly costly CAMHS and increasing resourcing in support services and intervention strategies must be a priority for this government.
“We have for some time raised concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is more important then ever that children can access the support they need, when they need it, irrespective of where they live.
“This is a crisis we can overcome, but it will require a similar energy and commitment to that demonstrated for Covid-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent many young people giving up on their futures.”
World Suicide Prevention Day takes place next Friday – 10th September 2021. This year the international theme is ‘Creating Hope Through Action’.
NHS 24 are encouraging everybody to think about taking one simple action to create hope and support ourselves and people around us who might be struggling, before pressures become a crisis. NHS 24 are supporters of United to Prevent Suicide.
The short animation ‘Ask, Tell – A healthy conversation’ gives practical tips on how and when to have compassionate conversations with people who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts or mental distress.
Anyone in Scotland in need of urgent help with their mental health can contact the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub on 111. This service is available 24/7/365.
Many people who call are experiencing thoughts or worries about suicide. The teams are able to help in a number of ways with compassionate listening, strategies to stay safe, or referral to support services for practical help with problems such as money or relationships.
Some callers are referred to their GP or community mental health team. Occasionally they refer callers to emergency services. NHS 24 work closely with the Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland to offer a compassionate, appropriate, safe response to everyone calling.
The Breathing Space service is a confidential phone line for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16, feeling low, anxious or depressed.
Open Monday – Thursday 6pm to 2am, and all weekend Friday 6pm -Monday 6am.
Call free on 0800 83 85 87
Donald Macintyre, Associate Medical Director, NHS 24 said: “Taking care of our mental health has been so important during the pandemic.
“I would encourage everyone to take a small action to improve their own wellbeing and to learn about safe ways to have what might be a difficult conversation with someone who may be struggling. Often a brief, caring chat can have a major impact. Our mental health teams are here to offer a compassionate response to anyone who needs urgent help.”
An action could be as simple as trying out the new Mental Wellbeing Signposting tool on NHS inform, which helps users navigate to free online courses provided by the SilverCloud platform or to the most helpful mental wellbeing resources on NHSinform.
SilverCloud courses have been designed by clinical experts and provide support for a range of conditions including sleep problems, general mental wellbeing and stress.
New research by Acas has found that over a third (36%) of British employers have seen their mental health support improve since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Acas commissioned YouGov to ask businesses in Britain about whether they had seen a change to employee mental health and wellbeing support in their organisation since the start of the pandemic. The poll found that:
Over a third (36%) said it had got better;
Nearly one in ten (9%) said it had got worse;
Half (50%) reported it as staying the same; and
6% of employers did not know.
Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said: “The pandemic has been a challenging period for everyone and it’s great to see that over a third of bosses have managed to improve their organisation’s mental health support for their staff.
“However, nearly one in ten employers have seen this support deteriorate so it is important for businesses to invest in the wellbeing of their workers as they open up again.
“Acas has good advice and training on how to support and manage mental health and wellbeing at work.”
Acas advice for employers on managing mental health during COVID-19 includes:
Be approachable, available and encourage team members to talk to you if they’re having problems;
Keep in regular contact with your team to check how they are coping;
Be understanding towards the concerns and needs of your staff while they work in new or unexpected ways. For example, working from home or managing childcare while working;
Address any individual communication preferences such as asking team members if they prefer to talk over the phone, through video meetings or by email; and
Look after your own mental health and get support if you feel under more pressure than usual. This support could be a colleague at work, a mental health network or a counsellor.
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day Police Scotland has joined forces with partners to arrange a series of drop in events throughout Edinburgh, beginning on Sunday (5th September) at Middle Meadow Walk in the Meadows.
Sergeant Mark Innes from our Prevention, Intervention and Partnerships (PIP) team said:“Suicide should never be inevitable. 805 people died by probable suicide in Scotland in 2020 and we all have a part to play in preventing suicide: it is everyone’s business to help.
“Part of our role at the PIP is to raise awareness of the support provided by our partners in relation to suicide prevention and supporting people bereaved by suicide. We work closely with partners including Chris’s House, SAMH, Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide, Penumbra, Samaritans and many others through Edinburgh’s Health and Social Care Partnership and the Thrive Edinburgh network.
“In the days leading to 10th September we will be holding partnership information stalls throughout Edinburgh to raise awareness of the support available and let people know where they can get help if needed.
A list of where we will be and when will be published soon.Talking can save lives and we hope that we can encourage people to seek support from the people that are best placed to help.”
